# This website is fake, right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 5, 2004, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-website-is-fake-right/243599 "2004-05-05T07:10:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-website-is-fake-right/243599/41 "2004-05-17T23:57:55Z")
What is “racist” about marketing? I will grant that this site is stupid, but to say it is discrimination of some sort one way or another is stupid. The reason why they don’t have a "[www.iamwhite.com](http://www.iamwhite.com), or White Entertainment Television is simply because whites are not seen as a niche group in American society. Groups such Asians, blacks, Hispanics, country music fans, senior citizens, and gays are seen as “markets” by the people that peddle stuff. But what sort of ad campaign could possibly target only a white audience? It is the percieved “default” element in American society, so general advertisements are expected to cover this group. The only circumstance that I can think of where it might occur is if a product is mainly used by a minority group, and the people that sell it want to appeal to a “general” audience. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-website-is-fake-right/243599/42 "2004-05-18T00:41:08Z")
I don’t find anything offensive about it…other than the fact that its an AWFUL website. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-website-is-fake-right/243599/43 "2004-05-18T03:55:57Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > I’d like to point out that if you C&P [i-am-white.com](http://i-am-white.com) into your browser, it goes to a web page saying I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that McD’s _ain’t_ the owner of that url. (I also have a feeling that I _don’t_ want to know who does.) WHOIS to the rescue again! > [@](#): > > Registrant: > dj granolaboy > Ross Kakuschke From the man’s own website: > [@](#): > > My name is Ross Kakuschke. I am a computer programmer, long-haired, hippy freak living in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. I used to have a beard, but I cut it off. I lived in San Francisco for two years and loved it. I was born and raised in Calgary “Cow Town” Alberta , but don’t hold it against me; I left as soon as I could. ---
**Author:** ![Sengkelat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-website-is-fake-right/243599/44 "2004-05-18T07:03:05Z")
[/quote] We’re Asian and Pacific Islander Americans … We’re hanging on to our great traditions while we move to the beat of the times. We honor our heritage - but we love being Americans. …we’re weaving the threads of our culture into the fabric of everyday American life. …we’re sipping green tea or enjoying a Big Mac® sandwich, we’re helping make the magic mix called America become even richer. [/quote] As a person of asian descent, I feel this is the perfect opportunity to say: Who’s this **we** , white man? The web site is written as if it’s written by an asian person, (which it may have been) but it’s also coming from McDonald’s, and McDonald’s just is _not_ asian. It sounds like the burger joint is trying to say “Hey, I’m asian just like you!” I find that a bit offensive. I don’t like the generalizations they make about asians, either. Hanging on to traditions while moving to the beat of the times? Who says? What if I’m ditching the traditions? Or what if I refuse to move with the times? I’m also not keen that they’re lumping all asians together, but if it is indeed “asian culture month” or whatever, I guess that’s not exactly McDonald’s fault. (Lessee now…folks from India and folks from Japan…are they culturally simalar? Err, that’d be a big NO) And, as everyone else has mentioned, aside from any issues of offensiveness the web site is just lame. ---
**Author:** ![Sengkelat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-website-is-fake-right/243599/45 "2004-05-18T07:04:28Z")
I _wlll_ preview from now on. I _wlll_ preview from now on. I _wlll_ preview from now on. I _wlll_ preview from now on. I _wlll_ preview from now on. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-website-is-fake-right/243599/46 "2004-05-18T12:44:00Z")
> [@TwistofFate](#): > > I have no problem with Mexican restaurants celebrating Cinco de Mayo, or people noting and respecting ethnic holidays. I just don’t like people trying to insert their product into a culture as if it was part of the culture all along, Or that the people who identify themselves as that culture are now hip hop loving Asian Americans who just love to eat McDonalds. What about the Shamrock Shake? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-website-is-fake-right/243599/47 "2004-05-18T22:00:21Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#): > > What about the Shamrock Shake? I guess Maccy D considered that too “Oirish” for Ireland - they never marketed it here. I don’t think they’d dare. In fact, there’s a slightly patronising ad for MasterCard (or is it a pastiche of MasterCard and actually for beer?) at the moment that mocks the entire touristic phenomenon - “Plastic Irish cottage (made in China) - €40. Two pairs of green trousers - €60. Leprechaun hat - €20. Knowing what it really means to be Irish - priceless.” ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-website-is-fake-right/243599/48 "2004-05-18T23:31:10Z")
So _you people_ really do drink green tea? _duck_ New low for McDonalds. Who the hell are they to assume that all asians drink green tea and eat Big Macs. Jesus, I’m American and _I’d_ be offended if someone assumed I eat Big Macs, as they are quite vile indeed. Good lord. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-website-is-fake-right/243599/49 "2004-05-19T13:29:13Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > In fact, there’s a slightly patronising ad for MasterCard (or is it a pastiche of MasterCard and actually for beer?) at the moment that mocks the entire touristic phenomenon - “Plastic Irish cottage (made in China) - €40. Two pairs of green trousers - €60. Leprechaun hat - €20. Knowing what it really means to be Irish - priceless.” That plays over there? That suprises me, unless it is a really sarcastic jibe at tourists. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-website-is-fake-right/243599/50 "2004-05-19T15:58:10Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#): > > That plays over there? That suprises me, unless it is a really sarcastic jibe at tourists. The latter! ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-website-is-fake-right/243599/51 "2004-05-19T17:54:40Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > The latter! Mmmmmmm…Shamrock shake. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-website-is-fake-right/243599.md?page=2)